Ken Johnson, baseball player, Died at 82

  Sports

Kenneth Travis Johnson was born on June 16, 1933, and died on November 21, 2015.

He was a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who became the first and so far the only pitcher to lose a complete game nine-inning no-hitter.

Pitching for the Houston Colt. 45s on April 23, 1964 at Colt Stadium, Kenneth gave up no hits in a 1–0 loss to the Cincinnati Reds.

The game’s only run was scored in the top of the ninth after Pete Rose reached second base on an error (by Kenneth himself), went to third on a ground-out, and scored on a second error, this one by second baseman Nellie Fox on Vada Pinson’s ground ball.

Opposing pitcher Joe Nuxhall retired the side in the bottom half to make Johnson a no-hit loser.

Kenneth still is the only player to ever lose an official no-hitter by himself.

He pitched for the Kansas City Athletics (1958–61), Cincinnati Reds (1961), Houston Colt .45/Astros (1962–65), Milwaukee/Atlanta Braves (1965–69), New York Yankees (1969), Chicago Cubs (1969), and Montreal Expos (1970).

Kenneth Johnson passed away at age 82 in November 2015.